1. Field of the Invention
The present disclosure relates to object contour measurements, and more particularly, to methods for determining mobility of different regions of a foot.
2. Description of the Related Art
Mobility, i.e., a difference in the position of a structure of a foot between loaded and unloaded states, is an important measurement, especially for determining the support needs of a person. The mobility of various areas of the foot vary from person to person. A relatively more mobile foot will flex more during ambulation (walking) than the more rigid foot. A foot with more mobility is also more likely to pronate excessively. This can result in foot instability and undo fatigue, which may result in stress, foot, knee and/or back injury.
The relative mobility of a foot is therefore important information when trying to understand any particular foot's needs for support in gait. This can be an especially powerful piece of information when trying to determine the proper footwear for a given foot. In addition, this information is helpful in determining what type of foot orthotic and the amount of support needed, in the range of rigid to semi-flexible to soft. A retailer with knowledge of the customer's mobility would be able to properly recommend a shoe and presumably have a sales advantage.
Further, mobility of the foot is of importance to various segments of the population. For example, those that are employed in construction, health care or delivery industries may have particular foot support issues because they are often exposed to excessively heave loads during the course of their occupations. Additionally, those that are obese are chronically exposed to excessive loads on the feet and specific support issues for that population are critical.
Foot mobility is also critical with individuals that suffer from legs of uneven length. Were there not a methodology for compensating for this difference, there would be no means for accurately determining foot mobility for this segment of the population. Similarly, for individuals who experience inversion or eversion of the foot compensation for excessive supination and pronation, respectively, are required prior to determining foot mobility.
There is a need for an apparatus and method for determining the relative mobility of various areas of an object such as a foot and for assessing relative mobility of different areas of the foot in different loading scenarios.